What Friends Are For
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: "Oy, if there's something wrong, you've got to tell me!" Riko snapped. "Remember what you promised about not trying to handle everything by yourself? You've got to rely on me if you need to! I promised the same thing." (Something seems off about Natsuo today, and Riko is determined to make it better). Fluff. I think.


**I love this series with a passion, and although I'm not entirely sure yet whether I ship Riko and Natsuo together or with Satoshi and Masaomi respectively, what harm is there with a little fluff between friends? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Lab.**

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What Friends Are For

Riko let out a sigh of relief as the bell rang, indicating the end of classes for the day.

She stretched her arms up above her head and kicked her feet out until the pins and needles she had acquired during class finally began to dissipate. Her longtime friend, Mika, let out an exhausted sigh as she stood up beside Riko.

"Ah, I can't believe it's only Wednesday." The blonde girl commented.

"Is it?" Riko looked up at her, tilting her head to one side. "It feels like Friday to me." She gave her charming, trademark grin, the grin that was most likely the cause of all the unwanted attention she received from so many of the other female students at Fuji High.

Seeing her friend in such a good mood, Mika tried to cheer herself up as well. "Ever since you joined the Student Council you've been a lot more... energetic." She smiled.

"Really?" Riko blinked in astonishment. "It's more tiring than anything..." She mumbled, remembering the various troublesome things she had been dragged into, and in some cases initiated, since she had joined. The hardworking, studious appearance the Council strived for on the surface was actually a guise a for their disappointingly unprofessional practices, yet somehow Riko had never felt compelled to quit.

_I guess it's because I bumped into Maki that day. _She thought._ I swear she's such a hopeless girl sometimes... But I just can't leave her alone._

"You must be having fun, though." Mika pointed out, bringing Riko back into the present.

"Y-Yeah... I guess so..." Shrugging a bit, Riko pushed out from her chair and got to her feet. "Welp. I'm off then! See ya tomorrow."

"Bye bye." Mika gave a small wave to her as Riko slung her back over one shoulder and exited the classroom.

She let her feet lead her down the familiar hallway like clockwork, gazing out the windows at the blue sky as she passed them. During her saunter, she was able to switch gears from classroom mode to love guru mode, even if her title was based on lies and false experiences.

When she neared the classroom, she nodded to a pair of girls who always hung out and chatted near the clubroom, earning two squeals as she passed them.

Once she stood outside the door to the club room, Riko hesitated and prepared herself for what she might see.

Two days ago she had walked in on Natsuo standing in front of a full-body mirror she had somehow obtained and moved into the room, practicing pick-up lines as she experimented with different hairflips over her shoulder. Yesterday, she had been spinning around in front of the same mirror, testing out which angle and speed of motion made her skirt flutter perfectly.

Riko had found Natsuo doing all assortments of peculiar things for her love research, like having tea with her beloved dakimakura pillow, but she was just worried that one day she would walk in to find the president doing something too odd even for Riko to comprehend.

Presently, she lifted her hand and knocked her knuckles against the wood twice. "Maki! I'm coming in!" She called out a bit of a warning just to give the other girl time to stop whatever nonsense she might be doing. As Riko opened the door and stepped in, however, she was greeted by an empty room. "Maki?"

Closing the door behind her, Riko deposited her bag on one of the couches and cautiously looked about the room, half-expecting the love-crazed girl to be hiding behind a curtain or piece of furniture in order to ambush her for whatever reason. But after a minute of scouring the room, Riko found that it was indeed vacant.

"Huh. Wonder where she is. She shouldn't have clean-up duty today..." Riko pondered as she walked over to the desk where Natsuo did most of her actual paperwork for the school. Natsuo would usually leave some kind of note or message for Riko indicating where she had gone if she was going to be late or was running an errand, but as Riko glanced over the desk now, she found nothing.

Suzune had informed the rest of them that she would be helping to tutor a classmate today, and Sayori and Yuiko both had clean-up duty, so Riko had prepared herself to tackle Natsuo's antics alone for a while. However, finding herself completely alone in the room that was usually filled with so much activity and laughter left Riko feeling a little lonely.

She took a seat on one of the couches, closing her eyes for a bit of rest. _Guess I should prepare myself for when they _do_ get here._ She decided.

She could hear the events going on around the school, from girls talking in the hallway to the wind rustling the leaves outside. But above all, she listened to the ticking hands of the clock as they continued to move, and every minute that passed by without someone entering into the room only succeeded in making Riko grow more anxious.

She would have texted Natsuo to inquire her whereabouts, but Riko had learned long ago that her friend always kept her cell phone off during school hours, unlike herself; this was probably another fact that lent itself to Natsuo's image of an admired, well-behaved member of the Student Council.

After nearly ten minutes had passed, Riko found herself growing antsy enough to start pulling at her hair, fidgeting and twirling the small ponytail on the side of her head.

She had just started gritting her teeth when she heard the door open at last. Riko's eyes shot open as she quickly looked over.

"Maki!" She exclaimed, getting up and walking over to her friend as she entered. "Where were you?"

"Ah, Riko." Natsuo looked at her with apologetic blue eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't leave you a note. I just had to go somewhere really quickly."

"Like where?" Riko pressed, watching as her friend headed for her work desk.

"It was nothing." Natsuo replied, waving it off with a little smile. "I have to do a few things now so please excuse me." She avoided Riko's questions, but not in a rude way, rather it was more like she was brushing her own reasons off due to triviality.

She took a seat at her desk and began filing through a stack of papers. Riko watched her, a mixture of confusion and suspicion swirling around in her mind. _She looks a bit pale. I've got to make sure she's not working herself too hard or else she'll collapse again._

Resolved to assist Natsuo in her toils, Riko walked over to stand behind her chair. "I can help." She offered. "Just put me to work!" She made a triumphant fist and winked one eye.

"That's okay. I won't be long." Natsuo smiled that perfect smile of hers, the one that raised a red flag in Riko's mind.

"If you say so..." Riko muttered, leaving her side for the time being. She knew something was definitely off about Natsuo, because even though her usual smile was there, the blush on her cheeks was absent, as was the energetic vigor in her voice.

A minute passed before she decided to try and get Natsuo to say what was on her mind. "So... what plans do you have for love research today? More hair flipping and skirt twirling?" She guessed.

"Hm?" Natsuo lifted her head from the paper she was reading. "Ah, yes. Perhaps." She smiled again when she replied, but her words were so absentminded that it caused Riko's eyes to narrow. _She's _always_ got something planned for love research, no matter how ridiculous it may be... _

Riko could only keep herself silent for a few more minutes before she cracked. She stomped back to the desk and stood before Natsuo, slamming one hand on the papers, causing her friend to jump. Riko placed her other hand on Natsuo's shoulder, pushing her back slightly so she had to look up at Riko.

"Oy, if there's something wrong, you've got to tell me!" Riko snapped. "Remember what you promised about not trying to handle everything by yourself? You've got to rely on me if you need to! I promised the same thing." She reminded the president.

Natsuo's eyes were still wide in shock until she realized Riko's intentions, and she let out a relieved sigh.

"I-It's not that." She defended herself hastily, lest Riko got angry with her; in all of her time at Fuji High, Natsuo had discovered that nothing made her feel worse than having her best friend be upset with her.

"Then what is it?" Riko lowered her voice when she saw Natsuo was being honest. She let go of the other girl's shoulder and crossed her arms over her chest. "Did you see Yan again? Did he do something stupid? I swear I'll kick his ass-"

"No, nothing like that." Natsuo denied her assumptions. "It's just...nngh!" She suddenly trailed off with a moan of pain as she hunched over in her seat, clutching her stomach.

"O-Oy, Maki! What's wrong?!" Riko quickly dashed to the other side of the desk to her side, placing a hand on her back.

"Heh... I guess I've been found out..." She replied weakly.

"Of course, you idiot! It was obvious from the start that something was wrong. What happened?" Riko demanded.

"A...Apparently it was something I ate this morning. Something must have been spoiled because I was feeling dizzy all day." Her complexion had turned significantly paler in the last few seconds, making Riko's shoulders tense.

"Then you should have told your teacher. Just because you're the Student Council President doesn't mean you should stay in class and suffer when you're not feeling well. Come on, I'll take you to the nurse." She had lifted Natsuo's arm around her shoulders and stood with her, wrapping her arm around her back, but Riko did not get far before Natsuo stopped her.

"That's actually why I was late." She admitted sheepishly, still trying to smile.

"Well, I'm taking you again." Riko declared, letting Natsuo lean more of her weight onto her . "You look like you're about to throw up."

"A-Actually..." Natsuo gave a wry laugh as she tugged at Riko's sleeve with her free hand. "I've already done that, too..." She murmured.

"Y...You what?" Riko stared at her in despair with her mouth agape. "Oh, Maki..."

"It's fine. I actually feel a lot better now. Just a little tired." Natsuo kept the smile on her lips, truthfully happy about Riko's concern for her.

"Well then you're definitely not allowed to be doing work." Riko growled, leading her over to the couch and sitting down beside her. "You should rest, dummy." She said, lightly chopping Natsuo's head. "Did she give you any medicine?"

"Yes, but my stomach still hurts." Natsuo admitted, sounding almost guilty.

"Well geez, you don't have to make it sound like it's your fault." Riko sighed.

"Riko, I'm sorry." Natsuo suddenly directed her tired, watery gaze at her friend. "I didn't mean to hide it from you. I really thought I was all better until just a moment ago..."

"Don't apologize." Riko smiled slightly. "I'm not mad at you. Sorry if I came off that way."

"No. I'm just glad you're not angry." Natsuo's voice was laced with relief and a hint of dreariness.

"Dummy." Riko repeated. "Now stop talking. You should lie down."

Riko moved over to the edge of the couch as Natsuo slipped her shoes off. She pulled her legs up onto the couch as Riko gently laid her shoulders down so that she could lie on her back. Natsuo let out a long sigh as she closed her eyes, grimacing as an unpleasant tremor crept through her chest, causing her stomach to hurt even more.

Riko watched the expression on Natsuo's face switch from discomfort to pain more than once before she could bear it no longer.

"Maki." She finally spoke up and her tired friend slowly cracked her eyes open. "Here. Rest your head." She pulled Natsuo toward her slightly so that she could rest her head on Riko's lap. Natsuo looked up and blinked once before a slight blush crossed her cheeks. Riko, too, felt her face grow hot as she realized how their positions must look right now. "S-Sorry. I guess this is more like something we should be doing for love research, huh?"

"I thought so, too." Natsuo agreed. "Maybe we can do some love research after all. I _have_ seen this kind of scene in several romance series before, after all..." She trailed off.

"S...So how does it feel to rest your head in someone's lap?" Riko wondered, a bit amused, but mostly relieved that Natsuo was feeling well enough now to engage in her usual favorite hobby.

"It's nice." She replied. "Soft. This is definitely good practice!" She declared. "What about you, Riko? Is in uncomfortable?"

"Nah. Your hair tickles a bit though." She laughed. Natsuo gave a little giggle as well, and Riko was relived that she was starting to feel a bit better.

But a minute later, Natsuo's brow had furrowed once more and she bit back another moan of pain. Riko chewed her lip as she contemplated what else she could do to help her feel better.

"Ah!" Riko exclaimed as she thought of something. "Oy, Maki." She lowered her voice as she gently shook her sick friend's shoulders. Natsuo looked up at her with hazy eyes. "I just remembered what my mom used to do whenever I was feeling sick."

Keeping her left hand on Natsuo's shoulder, Riko reached her right hand out to gently rest it on her friend's stomach. She tentatively moved her hand up and down as Natsuo tensed a bit at the contact. "S-Sorry! Is this too weird?" Riko pulled away instantly, afraid she had invaded Natsuo's personal boundaries. "Sorry. I just felt since my mom always did it that it might work for you, too. But I shouldn't have touched you so blatantly."

"No...it's okay..." Natsuo said softly. "It felt nice. I've heard stories like yours before, too, but I've never had anyone rub my stomach for me when I was sick before. To be honest, I've always wondered what it feels like..." She mumbled to herself for a second before she raised her voice again. "I guess we could still consider this love research, huh? Wouldn't it be nice to have the guy you love do this for you when you're sick? Have you already done it, Riko?" She sounded a bit more like her usual self now.

"Ah, n-no. I've never done this with a guy I dated before." Riko laughed nervously as she tried to bury the topic of her non-existent love life. "But if you're sure it's okay, I can do it if it'll make you feel better."

Slowly, Riko extended her right arm again. Placing her hand onto Natsuo's shirt once more, Riko rubbed her palm over her stomach in slow, soothing motions. Natsuo closed her eyes, letting the calming feeling overtake her. She sighed, breathing deeply as the dull aching in her stomach gradually ebbed away as Riko continued to trace her palm over her stomach.

Before very much longer, Natsuo's stomachache had dissipated enough for her to relax. Riko glanced down a minute later to find Natsuo breathing deeply and calmly, her eyes closed with slumber. "Ah, great." Riko muttered as she realized her predicament, not able to move unless she wanted to wake her friend.

_She's been working so hard for the past few weeks, though. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I woke her up. _Riko decided, smiling hopelessly as she glanced down at Natsuo who was now peacefully asleep.

Since she could not move due to being Natsuo's temporary pillow, Riko contented herself with playing with her friend's long, silky, onyx hair for a while.

Several more moments passed before Riko heard familiar voices from outside and soon, the door to the club room opened as the remaining three members stepped in.

"Sup. Sorry we're la-"

"Shhh!" Riko hissed, cutting off Sayori's greeting.

"Hah?" The treasurer's glasses then gleamed amusedly as she took in the scene before her. "What's this? Kurahashi, I didn't know you were into girls. I should have warned Maki."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Riko growled. "A-Anyway just keep it down, will ya?"

Suzune nodded eagerly, and even though Yuiko wore an amused smirk like Sayori's, the three of them behaved as they quietly sat on the empty couch opposite the pair.

"So what happened?" Yuiko asked in a hushed tone. "Is this love practice, too?"

"No! W...Well it kind of was for a little while, but that was Maki's idea." Riko added. "But anyway, just keep quiet and let her sleep. Apparently she's had a stomachache all day and just after classes finished she went to the nurse and was sick. But she just fell asleep not too long ago, so let her be."

Suzune nodded again, keeping her hand over her mouth to ensure not a sound escaped, and even though Sayori and Yuiko still wore teasing grins, they kept quiet as well.

The four of them talked in hushed whispers for a while, mainly about the love research Riko and Natsuo had just practiced. Yuiko and Suzune had to muffle their squeals at the thought of using a guy's lap as a pillow, and they teased Sayori a bit about her boyfriend as well.

About half an hour passed by, and at last Riko felt Natsuo stir. She made a small sound as her eyes slowly fluttered open, adjusting into focus on the ceiling. "Yo!" Riko greeted her with a wide smile as she leaned over the tired girl.

Riko glanced nervously at the other three who quickly motioned at her to say what they had instructed. _I... I guess saying a line like that to Maki now would be like love research, too, no matter how cheesy it sounds..._ Riko thought. "M-Morning, sleeping beauty!" She grinned.

"Heh?" Natsuo's eyes widened as she stared up at Riko. Meanwhile, Suzune looked on in wonder as Sayori and Yuiko stifled laughter. Riko glared at them for making her say something like that before directing her attention back to Natsuo who was still lying down.

"Maki? S-Sorry. Those guys made me say it." She explained as Natsuo slowly pushed herself up. Riko noticed that her face was flushed a light pink and she slowly raised a hand to her chest. "O-Oy... are you okay?" Riko asked.

"I... I think my heart just skipped a beat." Natsuo said in disbelief. "I-Is this what it feels like to be woken like a princess?" She brought her hands to her cheeks as she felt her face grow hot.

"Calm down." Yuiko cut in. "It's not like she kissed you or anything."

"K-K-Kiss?!" Natsuo shrieked. "R-Riko! You didn't!"

"O-Of course I didn't!" Riko exclaimed. "They just told me to say that cheesy line as part of love research! It was acting!"

"I dunno, Kurahashi," Sayori put in. "It sounded pretty convincing."

"Wha-?!"

There was a bit more bickering and shouting and blushing for a minute until they finally settled down. Riko was panting after having argued so passionately against Sayori's accusations, and Natsuo's cheeks were still flushed while Sayori and Yuiko still snickered to one another.

"You are so annoying..." Riko grumbled.

"A-Anyway!" Ever the peace-keeper, Suzune, managed to cut in at the perfect time, just before another argument could break out. "Are you feeling better now, President Maki?" She wondered.

"Ah, oh yes!" Natsuo straightened her posture and replied immediately. "I feel much better now! I actually forgot that I was sick before!"

"Well, that's good." Riko sighed in relief.

"Yeah." Yuiko nodded. "Glad you're feeling better. You're even weirder than you usually are when you're sick."

"But she's also a lot more fun to tease." Sayori added.

"Why you..." Riko clenched her fist, but was distracted by Natsuo's voice instead.

"Thank you, everyone!" She beamed. "Especially you, Riko! You really helped me a lot so... thanks." Her smile was back to what it usually was, soft and heartfelt.

"Sure, sure. What else are friends for?" Riko waved her hand dismissively.

Having regained her composure, Natsuo got to her feet.

"Now then! It's time for today's love lesson!" She announced. "Perfecting hairflips and skirt twirls!"

"Right!" The other four replied in unison, and together they all smiled happily as they began their usual antics.

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**A/N: Not much of an ending, sorry, but that's the best I can come up with at 1:30AM, I suppose. **

**Please review!**


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